The government is engaging with Danish firm AP Moller-Maersk to ensure that normalcy is restored at the earliest at the JNPT port that was hit by the 'Petya' ransomware attack.

The government is engaging with Danish firm AP Moller-Maersk to ensure that normalcy is restored at the earliest at the JNPT port that was hit by the ‘Petya’ ransomware attack. (Image: IE)

The government is engaging with Danish firm AP Moller-Maersk to ensure that normalcy is restored at the earliest at the JNPT port that was hit by the ‘Petya’ ransomware attack. Speaking to PTI, National Cyber Security Coordinator Gulshan Rai said he, along with state and port authority officials, are at the venue to assess the situation. “We are here to assess the situation and damage that has been caused to the systems of the Danish company. We are looking at how fast it can be restarted (at the terminal),” he said.

Operations at the terminal of the nation’s largest container port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) were impacted last night as a fallout of the global ransomware attack, which has crippled some central banks and many large corporations across Europe. Rai said the government is extending all help to the Danish company to address the situation. “The ICT infrastructure installed, managed and operated by government authorities, central and state, are functioning efficiently,” he added.

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Some of the biggest corporations, including Russia’s largest oil company Rosneft, Ukraine’s international airport, shipping firm AP Moller-Maersk, and advertising giant WPP have been affected by Petya, which comes close on the heels of the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attack. In India, private port operator APM Terminals Pipavav’s operations too have partially been hit by Petya. AP Moller-Maersk operates the Gateway Terminals India (GTI) at JNPT, which has a capacity to handle 1.8 million standard container units.

“We have been informed that the operations at GTI have come to a standstill because their systems are down (due to the malware attack). They are trying to work manually,” a senior JNPT official had said. The official explained that JNPT is trying to help the company, but there is little that others can do as the problem is with the systems. Fearing some clogging up of cargo, additional parking space is being made available, the official said, promising to help in any possible manner.

Meanwhile, in a post on its website, AP Moller-Maersk said it has “contained” the issue and is working on a technical recovery plan with key IT partners and global cyber security agencies. “We have shut down a number of systems to help contain the issue… Precautionary measures have been taken to ensure continued operations,” it added. The Indian government has already issued advisories to all critical sectors, including power to stay vigilant against any possible threats. According to sources, the country’s nodal cyber security agency CERT-In is also in touch with international agencies in this regard.